


Hunters: The Six-Year Murders (Hunters, #1)

by Jimbabwe88



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural Elements, Supernatural Hunters, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Werewolf Hunters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 11:31:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5373755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jimbabwe88/pseuds/Jimbabwe88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every six years, people go missing and desiccated corpses turn up in Woodtown. Johnathan, a hunter of the supernatural, suspects that the town has a vampire problem. Soreya, a soldier stationed in Woodtown, suspects that the town may have a serial killer. After surviving an attack from a creature that's not human, Soreya goes searching for answers. She winds up working with Johnathan and he reveals to her that there is more to her world than meets the eye. What neither will come to expect is that the murders are a result of something far darker than either Johnathan or Soreya could have imagined. (Rated Mature for Strong Graphic Violence, Blood and Gore, and Strong Language)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. I sincerely hope you enjoy it and I'll be posting updates on Sundays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation:
> 
> -Opal: O-pull
> 
> -Nyria: near-E-uh

**Prologue**

* * *

 

 

            “This year is the sixth year since it happened last,” said Tom, a big, burly man with short, brown hair and matching facial hair that covered his entire neck.

            “They’re rumors,” said Opal, an older woman with dead eyes and a deep voice typically not heard from most women. “Every six years someone tries to scare the town into thinking there’s a murderer on the loose. Well, I’ve been here for my entire life and I’m not dead yet. So, how do you explain that?”

            “No one cares enough to kill you?” said Tom, flashing the older woman a sly grin.

            The other two guys sitting at the table laughed uproariously as they took a swig of their beers. “Yeah, no one wants you in life so why would anyone want you in death?” said one of the other young guys sitting at the table.

            Opal elbowed the younger guy in the ribs and scowled at him. “I’ll have you know that plenty of men wanted me when I was younger. Women, too, in fact!”

            Tom chuckled. “Yeah, that’s just it, though. When you were younger...”

            The other two guys began laughing again while finishing off their beer. Tom just smiled at Opal serenely. Opal returned his smile with scowl. While the other two younger guys were busy waving the bar maiden over to get more beer, Tom winked at Opal which brought a rosy red blush to her cheeks.

            Tom was in his late thirties and Opal in her mid-fifties. Opal had never been married and she never had children and that led to much of the town whispering secrets that perhaps she just wasn’t in to men, which was perfectly fine, but she had never made advances toward the women in the town either. She enjoyed being alone with the occasional drunken fling from time to time, but ever since Tom had started flirting with her several months earlier, she had taken a liking to the younger man.

            Tom stretched his arms and yawned. “Well, guys, I think it’s time that I go home and turn in for the night. It’s nearly midnight and my bed is calling for me.”

            The other two younger men sitting at the table with him and Opal had wide smiles across their faces as the bar maiden poured them more beer. They eyed her up and down and even tried to slip a finger into the hem of her dress’s neckline to catch a peek at her breasts. She slapped their hands away and scowled at them. “That’ll be double on your tab,” she growled as she turned and walked back toward the bar.

            “We’d be willing to show you a double good time tonight,” replied one of the young men.

            She ignored them and kept on walking away.

            As Tom stood up, he tossed a few silver coins onto the table. “Come on, guys, stop harassing her. One day someone is going to come in here and kick your asses.”

            One of the guys turned to Tom, took a long, full drink of beer and grinned. “I dare anyone to try and kick our asses.”

            The other guy added, “Yeah, it’ll be two on one: advantage in numbers.”

            Opal stood up next to Tom. “I think I’m going to go home, too. I don’t want to be stuck with you two when you get drunk. There’s no telling what you’ll try and do to _me_.”

            “Oh, we wouldn’t think of doing anything to you,” said one of the men.

            “Yeah, not even the horses would want you,” added the other man.

            Opal slumped her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at them. “I hate you, both,” she muttered.

            Tom walked out of the Cabin's Inn and Opal followed behind him. When they were outside and away from everyone she grabbed Tom’s hand and interlaced her fingers with his. His hand was big and his fingers thick. Her hand was small and her fingers bony. “Why do you hang out those guys?” she asked. “They’re idiots. You could find better friends.”

            “I could,” said Tom, “but they keep me company on the farm and besides, they make me laugh every once and a while.”

            “That hardly seems like a good reason to keep someone around as a friend.”

            “True, but they work together nicely. And, as long as they’re working together in the fields or in Sacker’s barn, I’m doing less work. Plus, I really would like to see them get their asses kicked just once. They treat Angelica like shit and one day I just know that someone is going to walk in there and teach them a thing or two about manners. Of course, with the way they work together whoever that person may be will certainly have a rough fight cut out for them.”

            Opal just shook her head. “I still don’t see why you need to be friends with them. They’re misogynistic assholes.”

            Tom shrugged. They walked down the empty street together and above them, high in the dark sky, the full moon hung. Surrounding it were bright stars that littered the sky, a testament to how beautiful the night’s sky really was.

            “So, do you really believe in the six-year murders?” asked Opal.

            Tom looked down at Opal and raised his eyebrows. “I mean, I believe what I see. There’s someone at any given point in the world right now being murdered, but it doesn’t happen all that often here in Woodtown, and when it does the murderer is always caught. Every six years people get killed or go missing and there’s never a perpetrator found. How am I supposed to dispute as what happens as not being real? Real people are dying every six years here in Woodtown and no one has yet to explain it.”

            Opal was quiet. Her bony fingers tightened around Tom's fingers.

            “You don’t believe something strange happens here every six years?” asked Tom.

            Opal looked up at Tom and sighed. “I try not to,” she said simply. “I’ve lived here all my life, as I said earlier, and nothing has ever happened to me or my family. My father and my mother both died of natural causes and my sister just up and left several years ago without a hint as to where she was even going.”

            “Maybe she went to Pineburn?” said Tom. “It’s a bigger town with more people and more things to do and better work options.”

            Opal shook her head. “I went searching for her when she disappeared. She wasn’t there. Plus, we weren’t exactly the richest of folks. I don’t think she could have made a living there without having some sort of money saved up and let me tell you that she loved to spend her money at the brothel. She bedded more women than every man in this town,” she said, exaggerating the truth.

            “Your sister was in to women?”

            “Like you wouldn’t believe,” said Opal. “When I was younger I had a boyfriend.”

            “Oh, so the stoic Opal has been with other people,” Tom said sarcastically, trying to get a rise out of Opal. She just narrowed her eyes at him before smiling softly.

            “I’ve been with other men than just you, yes,” she said. “Anyways, this boyfriend I was with had been cheating on me with some girl he had met while working out on Sacker’s farm. When I found out I was devastated. Of course, looking back at it now, it made sense why he stopped being intimate with me and instead just started buying me things. Well, when I told my sister she sought out this other woman and ended up seducing her. My ex found his girlfriend and my sister in his bed with my sister’s head between her legs. Apparently, my sister was the best my ex’s girlfriend had ever had. He ended up finding another girlfriend in town and my sister went after her, too. After that one, he left town. I’m not sure where he went, but I say good riddance.”

            Tom was laughing boisterously. “That’s an incredible story! It sounds like your sister really watched out for you.”

            “Yeah,” Opal said chuckling. Her eyes returned to their deadened stare and her shoulders fell. “It’s just a shame that she left me. She never even told me she was leaving.”

            Tom pursed his lips. He tightened his fingers around Opal’s and brought her hand to his lips. He kissed it and smiled down at her. “Well, I promise not to leave you. And, anytime you want to come out about our relationship I’ll be more than willing to do so.” He smiled down at her.

            Opal smiled up at him. “Thank you,” she said softy. “But, I don’t want anyone knowing about us, at least not right now. People already think I’m an old hag, imagine what they’ll think when they find out that I’m dating a man almost twenty years younger than me.”

            “Well, they can get over it,” said Tom, “because I like you.”

            “I like you, too,” she whispered.

            They walked up to Opal’s house. She had several lit lanterns hanging from her porch terrace. There were two empty chairs sitting on the porch just to the right of the front door and a table that sat between them, limned in the silver glow of moonlight.

            Opal went to put the key in the key slot so she could unlock the door. As Opal put her hand on the doorknob, she noticed that it was able to turn. She furrowed her brows and turned it. Her door was already unlocked.

            “My door’s unlocked,” said Opal.

            “Great, let’s go inside, then,” said Tom, almost too eagerly.

            “No, I mean, it was locked before and it’s unlocked now. I haven’t unlocked it yet.”

            Tom stood there, quietly. “Here, let me go ahead of you. I’ll check out the house.”

            Opal put her arm out and stopped the him. “I think we should go and get a guard.”

            “You think I can’t handle some house thief? Just because I have Clive and Irving handle all the field work doesn’t mean I’m weak. Look at me.”

            Tom stood just over six feet. He was big and burly and while most of what he packed looked to be fat, it was in fact muscle. He often joked that his arms were carved of oak from the goddess herself. “If someone is in there trying to steal from you, then I’ll handle it. You stay out here until I tell you it’s safe to come in.” Tom walked in, grabbing a lantern that hung from the front porch.

            Opal sat down in one of the chairs, her nerves causing her breathing to quicken. Her heart steadily began to beat harder in her chest. She didn’t believe in the six year murders or at least, in the notion that every six years the same person was attacking and killing people in Woodtown. Someone breaking into her house had to just be a coincidence. Surely no one was out to get her, to kill her?

            Just then, Tom came back to the front door. He poked his head outside and calmly said, “Um, Opal, you should come see this. I found out who broke into your house.”

            A lump had formed in Opal’s throat and she tried to swallow it, but with no avail. She stood slowly and her hands trembled. “What is it?”

            Tom extended his arm to her. “I think it would be better for you to see rather than for me to tell you.”

            Opal shifted her eyes quickly. She took Tom’s hand and he led her into the house. There were a few candles lit and he led her to her room. When she stepped through the doorway her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. Sitting on her bed was her sister who had been gone for years now.

            “Nyria,” Opal gasped. She ran to her sister and embraced her tightly. “Oh, Nyria,” Opal cried. “Where have you been? What happened to you?”

            Nyria sat on the bed, quietly. She didn't say a word; she didn’t hug her sister back. She was motionless.

            Opal’s eyes were red as tears fell down her cheeks. She sniffled and kept her sister in her arms. When she finally let go she sat down next to Nyria on the bed and wiped her eyes. “Nyria,” Opal whimpered, “where have you been? What happened to you?” she asked again. “Where did you go?”

            Nyria sat quietly. Her chin was tucked into her chest and her eyes staring at the floor. As Opal observed her sister she realized that she didn't look healthy. She was thin—too thin. Her arms and hands looked like bones with skin wrapped around them. Her eyes were sunken in and her skin was pale. Her hair, too, which had been golden blonde the last time Opal had seen her sister was now pale blonde and thinning. Her clothes were ragged and dirty as if she hadn’t changed in months and her nails were long with dirt sitting under them. This wasn’t the sister that Opal had remembered.

 _What happened to you?_ Opal thought.

            Opal turned to Tom. “Can you get some water, please? And, something to eat?”

            Tom nodded and then left the bedroom.

            Opal turned her attention back to her sister. She took Nyria’s hand in her own and ran her fingers over it. She could feel every bone in her hand and her skin was uncomfortably cool to the touch. “Nyria,” Opal whispered, “what happened to you? Why are you so pale, thin, and cold? You look sick. You look—”

            “Dead,” Nyria muttered. She blinked, but just once.

            Opal was silent for a moment. She nodded head. “Yes… Nyria…? Can you look at me?”

            Nyria remained motionless. There was a sudden crash in the other room and Tom let out a yell. Opal jumped. “Tom?”

            “He’s here,” said Nyria, quietly. “I let him in.”

            Opal turned back to her sister. “Who?” Beads of sweat were now forming on Opal’s forehead. Her heart rate quickened as did her breathing. “Nyria, who’s here? Who did you let in?”

            Tom yelled again and there was another crash along with the sound of water hitting the floor. “Opal, get your sister and get out of the house,” Tom yelled.

            “I’ve got my sister,” Nyria muttered. Her voice was flat and without emotion. “I want you.”

            Opal turned back to Nyria. She was now facing her sister. Her sunken eyes were wide and terrifying as the once blue irises were now blood red. Her nostrils were flared and saliva bubbled at her lips. Her sickly thin hand tightened around Opal’s and her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Join me, my sister. I’ve missed you dearly,” she said, her voice low and unrecognizable of the sister that Opal had once known.

            Opal tried jerking her hand out of her sister’s grasp, but Nyria’s grip was too strong. “Nyria, let go,” Opal whimpered. “Please, let go of my hand. Let’s get out of here. I can help you. I can get you help!”

            Nyria lifted her head and opened her mouth. A row of sharp fangs lined Nyria’s teeth and as Opal cried out for Tom, Nyria lunged forward and bit into her sister’s neck. As her teeth penetrated Opal’s neck, blood burst from her wound and into Nyria’s mouth. She swallowed what she could with some of the blood pouring out from the sides of her mouth and onto the bed. Opal thrashed beneath her sister and tried screaming, but to no avail. She felt an unusual coolness wash over her body as the life was being drained from her. She gasped, trying to breathe, and within seconds her vision faded to black and her body went limp. An arm hung off the side of the bed and a bead of blood accumulated at her fingertip.

            Tom stumbled back into the bedroom, several scratches on his face and a gash on his arm. He was a bloodied mess but he still stood tall. “Opal, we have to”—

            Before him on the bed was Opal, lying on her own blood-stained sheets. Her skin was pale and her eyes were opened. Tom stood motionless, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

            Slowly his head began shake back and forth. “No,” he muttered. “No, no, no… Opal…” Just then he realized that her sister was missing. The wet, slurping sounds of someone licking and sucking something came from the other side of the bed. He crept over closer to the bed and on the floor was Nyria licking the floor. She looked up, suddenly, and hissed at him. Tom’s eyes widened. Never before had he been more scared. Then, in what seemed like less than a second Nyria had hopped up on her feet, jumped on the bed, and threw herself at him. Her toenails, which were long and incredibly sharp, dug into Tom’s sides and her fingernails dug into his shoulders. She began thrashing on him, his body crashing into the wall behind him. His head bounced off the wall and his body slumped to the floor. Nyria let go of Tom and stood up. She looked back at her sister.

            “Feast on your first meal,” Nyria murmured.

            Tom, trying to come out of the haze of his head injury, heard the bed creak. When he looked up, Opal’s arm had twitched and then she rose. When she stood and he saw her, he noticed that her once brown eyes were now blood red. Blood stained her neck and her dress all down the front of her. Saliva bubbled at her lips and ran down her chin. Nyria turned back to Tom and in one quick motion she whipped her arm at him. Her sharps nails ran across his neck, a deep gash opening up where her nails had made contact. Blood poured down the front of him as he tried to gasp for air. He put his shaking hand out attempting to reach for Opal, but rather than taking it she lunged at him just as Nyria had lunged at her before. Her mouth covered the gash at his neck and she began swallowing his blood. He was too weak to fight her off; he was drowning in his own blood. As his skin went pale and his eyes began to cloud over, Nyria growled, “There will be no coming back for you.”

            In minutes Opal had the body completely drained of blood. Some of it stained his shirt and pooled around him on the floor, but most of it Opal had drunk. Nyria fell to her hands and knees and began lapping up the blood on the floor. Opal watched her sister drink and then joined her. When they lapped up all the blood that they could, Nyria sat back on her knees. She stared at the doorway and smiled.

            Opal turned to face the doorway. She could sense him. His presence was everywhere in the darkness. A shiver went down her spine as the corners of her lips crept up. "Thank you, master," she murmured, licking her lips.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation:
> 
> -Johnathan: joe-nu-thin
> 
> -Celestriana: seh-less-tree-ah-nuh

**Chapter 1**

* * *

 

 

            Johnathan crouched quietly in the leaves of a thick bush out in the middle of the forest. His face and hands were covered in dried mud and his ashy, blond hair was matted together with the dirt as well. Above him the thick canopy masked the silver moonlight that shined in the black sky. In his hands he held his crossbow which at the moment was aimed directly out in front of him and loaded in the weapon was a bolt with a silver tip.

            The forest was quiet. Not even crickets chirped. Not a single breeze moved through the trees and the owls which had been quite active only minutes earlier were completely silent. Johnathan always hated hunting in forests. Everything was always too crowded and the trees, while providing plentiful cover for him, provided just as much coverage for the beasts that he was hunting.

            Johnathan stayed crouched in the bush for a few more moments and when he felt completely positive that he was alone in the area he moved out of it. Stepping out of the bush, Johnathan stood straight up, his kneecaps cracking and popping which he was sure was a sign of his age. Being thirty-one usually wouldn't take that much of a toll on the human body, but being thirty-one and doing what he did for a living most certainly had its wear on his body.

            As he stood out in between the trees of the forest, he looked either way—to his left and to his right. In both directions iridescent beams of moonlight filtered their way through various spots in the canopy of the forest. They provided just enough light for Johnathan to venture through the forest, but also provided enough darkened areas should he need to hide again.

            Johnathan debated which way to go: left or right. Going left would take him back into town whereas going right would lead him farther into the forest. He had followed the beast into the forest so there was no reason to think that it would go back to town. Johnathan turned right and began walking, his crossbow firmly in his hands and ready for firing.

            Johnathan wasn't a normal hunter. He hunted the creatures that most other people didn't believe in. He hunted the supernatural, the paranormal, and the downright terrifying that only most children could conjure up in their wildest nightmares. Since being a teenager and learning of what all really existed in the world due to his mother showing him, he had made it his mission to help and protect anyone and everyone that he could. If no one knew of these creatures, then how could anyone else possibly know what to look for? And, on this night, Johnathan's work led him directly into a hunt with a savage, bipedal carnivore favoring the full moon. His hunt tonight was against a werewolf.

            As he stepped between the trees and into the moonlight that cut through the treetops, he stopped. He lowered his crossbow and let it hang at his hip from the strap that went around his neck and shoulder. To his right he reached and pulled out a knife made of silver. Normally silver wasn't all that strong, especially when used for penetration, but his knife had been made with iron as well which helped the silver stay strong and less liable break. When he pulled the knife out he turned it sideways and reflected the moonlight off of the blade and let it shine into the dark parts of the forest. He needed to know if wandering farther would be a trap or not. He always hated hunting animals and werewolves were as animalistic as any other threat: bears, elk, and even normal wolves.

            There was nothing as far as Johnathan could see hiding between the trees so he put his knife back in its scabbard that hung at his hip and armed himself with his crossbow again. He walked farther and as he did he noticed a strong odor reminiscent of copper. When he looked around he noticed that blood was dripping from a bush beside him. Looking around the bush, he noticed a trail of blood leading to a few, tall trees. Johnathan held the crossbow out straight with the butt of the weapon tight against his shoulder; he crouched again, and carefully maneuvered around the bloody bush. He took careful steps so as to make as little noise as possible and when he reached the trees, he found the source of the blood trail.

            There was an older woman of about late-sixties lying against the trunk of one of the trees. She had gray hair and her skin sagged a bit. Her clothes had been shredded and the soil beneath her had been stained with blood. Her chest had been ripped open and fragments of her ribcage had protruded through the ripped flesh. Veins and arteries hung from the hole in her chest and her heart was missing. She had undeniably been a victim of the werewolf.

            As Johnathan examined the corpse, he sighed. He recognized the woman. When he had entered town he had wandered into an inn looking for a place to stay for the night. She had been the inn keeper. The town had been eerily quiet and when he had pressured her for answers, she had finally relented. She had told him that there was a creature on the loose in town that only came out during full moons. It had been a young woman, a local of the town, and she had wandered out into the forest to hunt. She had returned after being attacked by a yellowed-eyed, timber wolf and she had fallen ill from her wounds. No one had expected her to live, but she miraculously recovered, though she was never the same. She spent a lot of her time in the forest from that point on and when the first full moon came, terror had descended upon the small town. Reports of a wolf-like creature on two legs terrorizing the town made its way around. People began boarding themselves up in their homes during full moons and tonight had been no different.

            Upon hearing the story, Johnathan immediately recognized the creature as a werewolf and told the older woman to keep safe in the inn. He had given her a spare silver-infused, iron knife for protection and then went back to his ship to get the items necessary for the hunt.

            When he had returned, the door to the inn had been smashed open and the inn keeper had been gone. There had been blood, but not enough to warrant a fatality. Then again, the older woman had been taken by a werewolf. She hadn't had have much time left. He had followed the trail which led to the forest and then it went cold. His hunt had begun.

            Johnathan sighed sympathetically. He always hated when innocent people lost their lives to the monsters that he was hunting. It always made him feel like an inadequate hunter.

            He stood up and examined the area around the corpse. He noticed several long gashes in the tree's thick trunk above the older woman's head. It was almost as if the creature had climbed the tree.

            Just then, leaves shook above Johnathan and floated to the ground behind him. He looked up into the canopy and staring back at him were bright yellow eyes followed by the low guttural growling of a wolf. He turned quickly and aimed the crossbow up into the leaves and before he could fire off a silver-tipped bolt, the beast jumped from the tree and charged at the hunter. Johnathan aimed his crossbow at the charging beast and as his finger was about to pull the trigger, the werewolf swiped its massive paws up and knocked the bow from Johnathan's hands. It flew behind him, hanging around his lower back and the furry beast knocked Johnathan up against the tree, the corpse of the older woman falling over, and it pinned him against the tree trunk.

            The beast bared its sharp, blood-stained teeth at the hunter and growled. Its hot breath hit Johnathan's face and he could smell the fresh blood on its breath. Its yellow eyes bored into his own—staring directly at his soul. Johnathan's heart beat hard against his chest, but he stood his ground. He had faced werewolves in the past and he had no intention of dying to this one.

            The werewolf had Johnathan in its grasp, its massive paws clenched tightly to his right shoulder and his left arm. As it squeezed, its claws slowly dug into his thick coat, slowly making their way to his skin. While he stared into the beast's eyes as it stared into his, he tried reaching for the knife at his hip, but he couldn't get a good enough grip on it. The werewolf growled again and just as it was about to open its jaws and take a bite out of the hunter, Johnathan reared his head back and brought it forward, hard, hitting the furry beast directly in its snout. The werewolf let go of Johnathan and stumbled backwards, crying and yipping. Just like dogs, werewolves had very sensitive snouts and flicking one hard enough or in this case head butting one hard enough, would temporarily stun them.

            While the werewolf was busy covering its snout with its paws and crying, trying to settle the pain, Johnathan pulled his knife from its scabbard and pounced at the beast. He tackled it to the ground and ran the blade across its back. Blood bubbled up from the wound and the werewolf howled in pain. It thrashed beneath Johnathan and as he brought the knife up to jam it into the beast's spine, it twisted over knocking Johnathan to the ground and ran off back into the forest.

            Johnathan quickly got to his feet, grabbing the knife that had been knocked from his hand and put it back in its scabbard. He reached behind himself and pulled the crossbow forward. He aimed it at where the werewolf had been running, but it had once again disappeared into the darkness of the forest. This time, rather than waiting for the beast to come to him, Johnathan decided to take the fight to it. He ran off after the beast, running deeper into the forest.

            Ahead of him, Johnathan could hear the crunching of leaves and foliage as the werewolf ran between the trees. He used his sense of hearing to really guide him as the light had grown dimmer as he got deeper into the forest. Growls, yelping, and snarls from the werewolf kept Johnathan focused. He kept his crossbow secured in his grip and tightly against his shoulder. If this beast was going to dare and attack the hunter, then he was going to be prepared for it.

            The sounds of the werewolf scurrying through the forest and growling faded the farther Johnathan ran until all that was left was the sound of foliage crunching beneath his feet. He stopped and shifted his eyes quickly. Darkness had enveloped him and only the far off moonlight beaming through the trees could be seen. He turned quickly in all directions so not to have the werewolf sneak up on him, and then he backed himself up into the tree.

            Like wolves, werewolves were cunning creatures. Most werewolves hunted in packs, but luckily this werewolf was alone. Rather than infecting and turning other people from the town outside of the forest, it had only killed them. It was unfortunate for those who lost family members and friends, but when it came to hunting, Johnathan considered it a blessing. Packs were hard to kill alone.

            Johnathan's heart pounded in his chest and his nostrils flared as he took in deep breaths through his nose. While monsters no longer scared Johnathan, it was always the fact that at any moment any one of them that he was hunting at the time could be his downfall. Whereas his hands used to quiver and his body used to shake and his jaw used to tremble, he only now dealt with a thudding heart and flared nostrils. Fear used to be commonplace when hunting monsters, especially when he hunted them with his mother, but after her death he had to learn to go at it alone. He had to learn to not let fear consume him. Like his mother, he had to be brave.

            Hanging from his neck and tucked away inside his shirt was a necklace with an emblem of Celestriana inscribed in the center of it—the goddess of all light and the protector of all of those faithful to her. His mother had taught him everything she had known about Celestriana as she had been a devout follower of the goddess. She had raised her son to believe in and worship the fairy goddess just as she had. He pulled the emblem out of his shirt and gave it a quick kiss. He tucked it back in his shirt, narrowed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. It was time to end this hunt.

            Johnathan stepped away from the tree and aimed his crossbow out in front of him. He had one chance to land a shot. Loading the crossbow took too long and the werewolf was way too fast to allow him the chance of reloading. Johnathan stepped around the tree and widened his eyes to try and see clearer into the darkness. It didn't help much, but as he made his way deeper into the forest he caught wind of the familiar scent of copper, of blood.

            He used the smell to lead him forward until he found his way back into the moonlight. The forest was still dark, but at least now he had a bit of light to help him see. Johnathan stepped forward and the silence of the forest came to an abrupt end at the sound of snarling. He pivoted on the heels of his feet, quickly turning around, and fired the silver-tipped bolt at the charging werewolf. It flew through the air, hissing its way toward the creature, and pierced it just above its hip. It cried out and stumbled forward, ramming into Johnathan and knocking him and itself to the ground.

            Johnathan struggled beneath the weight of the beast, but as it thrashed on top of him he couldn't seem to get out from underneath it. He picked up his crossbow and smashed it into the beast's hip, causing it to howl in pain. Its claws dug into the loose dirt beneath them and it snarled again as it made eye contact with the hunter. Globs of warm drool fell from its gaping mouth and onto Johnathan's face and chest. He lifted a knee hard and thrust it into the other side of the werewolf's hip, the side that had the crossbow bolt sticking through it. It howled again and fell over, freeing Johnathan of its weight. He rolled over and quickly returned to his feet. He removed the crossbow strap from around his neck and shoulder letting the weapon fall to the forest floor. He reached for the hilt of his knife and brought it back out, the blade aimed at the beast. The blade glimmered iridescently in the shimmering, silver light of the moon and this time Johnathan was the one to bare his teeth. He pounced onto the beast and jabbed the knife deep into the beast's chest. It howled and cried and thrashed, but when Johnathan pulled the bloodied blade out and stabbed the werewolf again—this time in the heart—the beast went limp. It exhaled its final breath and blood oozed out of the previous wound.

            Johnathan took in several slow, deep breaths and then pulled the knife from the beast. At sunrise the body would revert to its former form and the body of the young woman who had been cursed with the infliction of lycanthropy would be all that was left of the beast. Her family, if they even still lived, would have a body to bury and to mourn over.

            Unfortunately, while saving innocent lives from the supernatural was Johnathan's profession, it usually didn't amount to a lot of joy once the work was done. It especially didn't feel all that glamorous being alone as well. When he had his mother, they could provide care and comfort to one another, but being alone for fifteen years he still hadn't been able to get past the loneliness that came with the job. It was just too dangerous to ask anyone else to join him and besides that, who would really believe him if he were to tell them that he hunted werewolves, vampires, banshees, and all other forms of supernatural creatures? Commonplace was to consider all of those creatures to be myths or legends; rarely anyone else ever believed him even when he did tell stories of past hunts and the ones that did believe them never seemed to take it too seriously.

            Johnathan wiped the blood on his knife across the werewolf's thick, brown fur and stood up, towering over the carcass at his feet. He put the knife back in its scabbard and picked up his crossbow. He took the time to reload it since he now _had_ the time and put the strap across his neck and shoulder once again. The weapon hung at his hip and he made his way out of the forest.

            When he got back into town the streets were still empty. Johnathan sighed deeply and wished that there had been another way to solve the problem, but like vampirism there was no other way to cure lycanthropy. Death by silver was the only way to handle the problem intelligently. It was a disease and when in full bloom during full moons it fed on killing until the host was dead.

            Johnathan made his way to the edge of town and out onto the docks. Sitting in the harbor was his ship. It was easiest way of getting from place to place without long travels via horseback. He walked onboard and made his way beneath the cabin to the stable area. In the stable was a single horse—jet black fur, brown eyes, and strong legs. The horse snorted and stamped a hoof into the hay beneath it. Johnathan brought his hand out and gently stroked its snout. The horse rubbed its head into his hand and whinnied softly.

            "One town saved," Johnathan murmured to the horse. "Tomorrow, we venture onto the next town. It's the sixth year, Shadow, and that means we finally get to make it to Woodtown."

            Shadow snorted and stamped his hoof again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciations:   
> -Soreya: suh-ray-uh
> 
> -Uriah: you-rye-uh
> 
> -Gileron: guile-ron
> 
> -Houlton: hole-ton
> 
> -Mulhar: mull-har
> 
> -Pbortium: bore-T-um

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 

 

            Soreya slouched outside the dining hall with her leather skinned armor tied loosely around her torso and her thighs. She watched as two large men carried a buck towards her. They were heading for the kitchen so the dead animal could be skinned and cooked for diner. It was the same as yesterday and the day before that. Every day it seemed to be venison for dinner. As the two men passed, Soreya avoided eye contact with either of them and didn’t even bother to straighten her stance.

            “Soreya,” Haylee yelled in a whisper, “straighten up! At least act like you’re trying to do your job.”

            "Do my job?" Soreya sighed. She didn't even reply in a whispered voice. “We're guards. What are we guarding this place from? We’ve been here a whole year and not a damn thing has happened!”

            “Shh,” whispered Haylee. “This is why we enlisted. We joined the Gileron Army to make a difference in people's lives.”

            "No, I enlisted because I didn't think my life was going anywhere."

            "Well, it's been four years since you enlisted and it's been three since basic training. This is your job. Straighten up and _at least_ act like you're here to serve your kingdom. What's your duty?"

            Soreya was quiet. All expression faded from her face as she sighed deep and slow. “Guard duty,” she muttered disdainfully.

            The dining hall doors burst open and the two large men that had entered just moments ago came bustling out. They were laughing and shoving each other as they walked and talked. Soreya wanted to go up to them and hit them both just so it would start a fight. She wanted something—anything!—exciting to happen for once in this tiny town of Houlton. Her boredom and the hatred for her job had settled deep within her. She kept her position at the dining hall doors, however, but never bothered to straighten up, remaining slouched instead.

            Soreya was a young woman of twenty-two and had joined her kingdom’s army—the Gileron Army—at eighteen. She had grown up orphaned and wanted to do something with her life. She had imagined fighting in wars, sailing ships, and protecting her King and Queen with her life, but instead she had spent her first year in basic training and the last three years on guard duty in various small towns, Houlton being the dullest. Life wasn’t what she had expected it to be. She wanted more out of it.

            Almost an hour passed before it was time to eat. Soreya wasn’t particularly hungry as she knew venison was on the menu once again, but after standing for so long at the dining hall doors she had to admit that sitting down did seem nice.

 

**# # #**

****

            Soreya sat down at a table and practically threw her tray of food down on top of it. The dining hall was loud with chatter and laughter, but Soreya was quiet, brooding. She stared her food: venison that had been slow-cooked in an onion broth, a baked potato with melted butter, and a half an ear of buttered corn. She groaned as she stared at the unappealing meal. Truly it was the venison that upset her the most.

            Beside her sat the other guard—Soreya’s friend—Haylee. She was dressed in the same leather skinned armor as Soreya, but whereas Soreya’s hung loosely from her body showing a lack of care, Haylee’s armor was bound tightly to her body. Her brunette hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail with a few loose strands hanging over her ears and when she turned to face Soreya she gave her friend a big, bright smile.

            “You don’t look like you’re excited to be eating,” said Haylee.

            Soreya looked down at her food and then back to Haylee. “That’s because I’m not,” she said bluntly. “We’ve had venison for the past two weeks. Can they really not give us anything other than deer meat? I’d even settle for squirrel right now.”

            “Well, deer is plentiful here. They sabotage the gardens and the crops and are a general nuisance to the folks living here in Houlton.”

            Houlton was located about fifty miles outside of any other town. Nothing but fields for growing crops and forests surrounded the town. Most of the people living in Houlton were either farmers or hunters and the town managed to stay afloat by selling off its crops to other towns or cities within the kingdom. Of course, being so far away from any other town or city meant that they often had problems with wild animals, particularly wild deer.

            “That’s probably because they live out here in the middle of nowhere,” Soreya retorted. "And how does this place still have a population? It's so far removed from any other place within the kingdom that how are people not breeding incest? Who in their right mind is traveling to Houlton looking to start their life?"

            The population of Houlton was less than three hundred and there were only four active guards on duty, Soreya and Haylee being two of them. They were the set of guards that worked the twelve hour shift from nine in the morning to nine at night, the other two working the night shift: nine at night to nine in the morning.

            For breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyone in town that wanted to join the community would gather in the old, abandoned church that had been renovated into a dining hall. Almost every day lunch would consist of a vegetable that was locally grown and plentiful: potatoes, corn, beans, or carrots; and often times they were accompanied with some sort of meat, typically venison since deer was quite common around Houlton.

            Haylee avoided Soreya's question about the town's population. "Every place needs its protectors," she replied as she sipped a spoonful of the onion-flavored broth. "It's our jobs. It's why we enlisted in the army."

            "You keep saying that, but you can't truly mean it? Can you?"

            Haylee shrugged as she chewed on a piece of deer meat soaked in the broth. When she swallowed, she replied, "Just because we're guards for Houlton right now, doesn't mean we will always remain guards here. Our year is almost up and we should be getting our transfer papers any day now."

            Soreya picked out the chunks of venison from her broth. She imagined how dastardly humorous it would be to trick a deer in to eating the meat. If there was one thing that being in Houlton had shown her it was just how much she had hated deer.

            "I'm looking forward to leaving this place," said Soreya. "I hate everything here."

            Haylee was quiet. "I know you do." Her reply was soft, almost inaudible over the chatter in the dining hall.

            Soreya was still fishing chunks of venison out of her broth when she heard Haylee's reply. The subtle hurt in her voice caused Soreya to stop playing with her food and purse her lips. "I'm sorry," Soreya said softly. "I don't mean I hate _you_. I just... I enlisted because I wanted to do something with my life. I thought joining the military would give me that passion that I want out of life. It hasn't yet, though."

            Haylee nodded, her eyes never leaving the tray of food before her.

            Soreya gently placed a hand on Haylee's shoulder. "I am glad that we got to meet each other, though. You're a wonderful friend. Without you here I probably would have gone AWOL and joined the deer in the forest. You could call me Soreya: Queen of the Forest."

            Haylee's lips cracked a smile as she chuckled. "Yeah, like _that_ would ever happen."

            Soreya chuckled in response. "You're right. I'd probably hunt all of the deer myself. I'd eradicate them all. Soreya: Queen of the Forest; Deer Conqueror."

            Haylee grinned. "That sounds about right."

            Soreya peered into Haylee's grey-speckled, hazel eyes. The corners of her lips crept up into a smile. She nudged her friend with her shoulder and returned to her food. She finished picking out the rest of the venison and began sipping the broth with her spoon. The taste of venison was still prevalent in the broth, but at least she didn't have to actually eat the meat.

            Haylee reached across Soreya and picked up the chunks of deer meat. She dropped them into her bowl, mixing it with her onion broth. In return, Haylee offered her half ear of buttered corn to Soreya. Soreya accepted it from her friend. They ate their dinner and continued their shift until it ended at 9pm.

 

**# # #**

The following morning, Soreya awoke and sat up on the edge of her bed. Her dirt brown hair was disheveled and she was in her undergarments. She stretched her arms and legs out and yawned, then wiped the sleep from her eyes. She turned and looked back at the other bed. Haylee was still sound asleep. Their shift was coming up and as much she wanted to let Haylee sleep, she knew she had to wake her up.

            "Hey," Soreya said. "Wake up."

            Haylee didn't move. Soreya turned to the other edge of her bed and watched her friend sleep. Her brunette hair covered most of her face, but her mouth and nose were still exposed. She had slept on her belly with her mouth open and a pool of drool had formed on her pillow.

            "Haylee," Soreya said, louder. She still didn't move. Soreya picked up her pillow and threw it at her friend. "Wake up!"

            The pillow hit Haylee and she jerked awake. "What in Mulhar..." Haylee had sat up and Soreya fell over laughing in her bed. Haylee scowled at Soreya, wiping the droop from the side of her face. "You could have just tapped me on the shoulder, you know?"

            Soreya regained her composure and replied, still giggling a bit, "I know, but the opportunity was too perfect to pass up."

            Haylee rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

            "It's time for you to get up and get dressed." Soreya was crouched at the chest at the end of her bed. She had opened it and pulled out her guard uniform.

            "You should talk," replied Haylee. "You're the one in your bra and panties. At least I'm wearing a shirt and pajama bottoms."

            "After a year of being stuck with me you mean to tell me that you haven't grown used to my almost-nude way of sleeping? I'll have you know, if I were alone I would be sleeping in the nude. It's just so much more comfortable." A light, pink blush filled Haylee's cheeks. "How would your husband feel with you sleeping in the same room as a nude woman?"

            Haylee shrugged. "I... don't know?"

            Soreya pulled out her clothing. "We won't have to find out"—she began walking toward the lavatory so she could shower—"probably." With that she flashed her friend a playful smile and a wink and then began laughing.

            Haylee's light pink blush deepened into crimson.

            Once Soreya and Haylee were dressed for duty, they headed out to the dining hall. Breakfast had been served at its main course included venison yet again. Soreya put a hand to her belly and she pretended to gag. "I think I'll just sit breakfast out. There's no need for venison now when I'm sure I'll be having it for lunch _and_ dinner."

            Soreya skipped the line for food and joined Carl and Uriah at one of the many tables in the dining hall—the other two guards that had worked the night shift. As she sat down she heard them talking about their transfers.

            "I'm going to Garith," said Carl. "It'll be nice to be back in the capital."

            "I agree," said Uriah. "I'm heading back to Garith as well. I miss being home and getting to see my wife and kids."

            Soreya furrowed her brow. "You're both heading back to Garith after your yearly station is done here?"

            The two men looked at Soreya and nodded. Carl said, "We got mail this morning. It was from the capital. They sent us letters telling us where we're heading after next week."

            Soreya's eyes widened. "We finally got our relocation papers?!"

            The two male guards nodded and then Uriah said, "Yeah, you can check the mail house. If we got our relocation papers, then you probably got yours as well."

            Soreya slapped the top of the table with open palms. "Yes! Finally! I'm tired of being here!"

            "You're telling us," said Uriah. "It's boring as shit here."

            "Right?" said Soreya. She jumped up and nearly ran to the door. On her way out of the dining hall she passed Haylee. "Hey, we got our relocation slips. Do you want me to get yours?"

            "Yes, please!" Haylee was still waiting in line to get her breakfast.

            Soreya smiled and nodded. She made her way out of the dining hall and to the mail house. She stopped at the clerk's desk and asked for her mail as well as Haylee's. The clerk, knowing both women to be guards and friends, handed Soreya the mail and she left. She returned to the dining hall and joined Haylee, who was now sitting at the table with Carl and Uriah, and handed her friend her mail.

            "Today is the day," said Soreya enthusiastically. "Maybe I'll be heading to Garith like you?" she said, nodding at Carl and Uriah. "Or, maybe I'll be relocated to Istives. I hear there are a lot of gorgeous women in Istives." Soreya opened her mail and as she read the letter her enthusiasm slowly faded.

            "I'm going home," said Haylee, ecstatically. "I'm going back to Garith!"

            Soreya just kept staring at the paper. Her eyes were blank and her lips pursed shut.

            "Where are you going, Soreya?" asked Haylee.

            Soreya's nostrils slowly began to widen. A deep red flush rose from her chest to her neck and settled in her cheeks.

            "Soreya?" said Haylee. "Hey, where are you going?"

            Soreya's brows knitted together. Her jaw was clenched tightly shut and her hands began to shake. All enthusiasm had evaporated from her.

            "I'm fucking staying in Houlton!" Soreya shouted. The entire dining hall became quiet. "Are you fucking kidding me? How can they fucking do this to me?! I'm tired of this shithole of a town! I joined the army to do something grand with my life, not watch the fucking people chase deer all day long."

            Haylee tried quieting Soreya, but she wouldn't have any of it. She had reached her boiling point and it was her time to vent.

            "This is bullshit!" Her eyes had become red and wet with tears. "How come you three get to leave and I'm forced to stay? I—" her voice quavered. Soreya wadded the paper up in her hand and threw it to the ground. She marched out of the dining hall, slamming the doors behind her. Haylee quickly stood up and chased after her.

            "Hey, Soreya, stop..." Haylee's voice was soft and caring. When she caught up with Soreya she gave her friend a big hug. "I'm sorry you have to stay here for another year, but think of the people that live here. They're grateful for your presence. As long as you're here they know they're in good hands. You make them feel protected."

            "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Soreya sniffled and gritted her teeth again. "I can't stand another year here, Haylee. I won't make it."

            "You said that when we first arrived here last year and you're still here." Haylee was rubbing Soreya's back tenderly.

            "Yeah, that's because I had you," said Soreya. "I had a friend."

            "We didn't know each other when we first arrived here. Our friendship grew and blossomed into what it is today. You'll make new friends. I'll even write you so we can stay in touch."

            Haylee's attempts at comforting Soreya were nice gestures, but they didn't work. Soreya had had enough of Houlton and she wanted to leave.

            "You're leaving and I'm staying. How fair is that?" Soreya's voice cracked. She was aware of how selfish she sounded, but in the moment she didn't care.

            "Well, I mean I _do_ have a husband back in Garith."

            "Oh, right, I forgot. I'm the orphan. Let's just leave the orphan in the shithole. No one will miss her..."

            Haylee furrowed her brow. "Now, you know I didn't mean it like that! I have _never_ said _anything_ to hurt you."

            Soreya knew it to be the truth. Haylee was just too kind.

            "I know," Soreya relented, sniffling. "It's just... I was really hoping to get out of here. I feel like my life is being wasted right now. I just want to leave."

            Haylee curled a finger under Soreya's chin and brought her head up so their eyes were aligned. She smiled. "Your life isn't a waste. Without you, I wouldn't have met the most wonderful friend in all of Pbortium," she whispered. "You'll do great things. Just give it time."

            Soreya sniffled again. She wiped her cheeks and hugged Haylee tightly. She didn't say a word; she enjoyed their embrace.

            When they finally parted, Haylee said, "Why don't you come back and join me for breakfast. Our shift starts soon."

            "Ugh!" Soreya groaned. "And the venison! I have to put up with the venison for another whole year!"

            Haylee laughed. "Come on, Deer Conqueror" she said, pulling Soreya by the arm. Soreya gave in and let her friend lead her back to the dining hall, giving a reluctant smile at the moniker.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation:
> 
> -Troi: troy
> 
> -Garith: gare-ith
> 
> -Faeling: fay-ling

**Chapter 3**

* * *

 

 

            "Well, this is a welcome treat," Soreya said as she and Haylee carried their trays to the table where Carl and Uriah were sitting.

            A week had passed since the four guards had received their transfer slips. Today was their last day in Houlton and Soreya was trying to make the best of it.

            "It's just porridge," said Haylee with a hint of glee in her voice.

            "Yes, but it isn't venison," Soreya said.

            They sat down at the table and joined the two men in conversation.

            "Good morning, Carl. Good morning, Uriah," said Haylee. She couldn't keep the grin off of her face even if she had wanted to. "How was the night shift?"

            "Boring as the day shift, I'm sure," said Soreya, unenthusiastically.

            "Actually," said Carl, "we had a bit of action last night."

            "Someone tried breaking into a house," added Uriah, "and we stopped him."

            "Well, sort of," continued Carl. "When he spotted us he ended up running away and we gave chase to him."

            "Turns out when we caught him, he had broken into several other houses and had stolen some coin. We locked him up in the cells, though, and redistributed the money that he had stolen to the patrons who had lost it," said Uriah.

            Soreya's mouth hung slightly agape. "You mean to tell me that something exciting finally happened in this town?" Carl and Uriah nodded. "And, I wasn't around to be a part of it?"

            Haylee chuckled as she patted Soreya on the back. "You see, there _is_ excitement that happens here. Maybe for your next year you should go to the night shift?"

            "I enjoy my sleep too much to do that," said Soreya.

            "Yeah, but nightshift seems to be where all the action is," replied Haylee.

            "It was one night," Soreya said, putting a spoonful of porridge in her mouth. She swallowed and added, "Besides, I'm going to have my hands full putting up with the other three guards. What if they're incompetent?"

            "I doubt our commander would send incompetent guards here."

            "You never know. If you were going to send rookies somewhere, this really would be the best place for them seeing as how nothing ever happens."

            "A robbery happened last night," said Haylee.

            "Okay, something happens one time a year," said Soreya. "How exciting," she added facetiously.

            No one else spoke again until they had all finished their breakfast.

            "Last day on the job here in Houlton," said Carl, looking at Haylee. "Are you excited about going home?"

            Haylee nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I am. I've missed my husband." Soreya turned her head slightly and watched Haylee out of the corner of her eye. "But, I've enjoyed working with the three of you."

            "It's been a real pleasure working with you as well," said Soreya. She smiled. "I'll miss my best friend."

            "Oh, I'm your best friend?" Haylee held her hand to her chest in a dramatic fashion. "I'm flattered."

            Soreya grinned and nudged her friend with her shoulder. "Shut up," she jested. "I _will_ miss you."

            Haylee locked eyes with Soreya. Her eyes were stunning. The rims of her irises were brown, but as the color moved closer to the pupils they faded into a glimmering golden yellow. Haylee had never seen eyes like Soreya's. She often found herself wanting to stare into Soreya's eyes and being content with just seeing them for the rest of her life: waking up to them so they would be the first thing she would see in the morning and falling asleep to them so they would be the last thing she would see.

            Haylee forced herself to look away. "I'll miss you, too," she said softly.

 

**# # #**

 

            Once the four of them finished eating breakfast, they got up and turned in their dishes and empty tray. On their way out of the kitchen, standing in the doorway of the dining hall they noticed a tall, lean man with short black hair, a cleanly shaved face, thick, brown leather armor with the kingdom of Gileron's insignia inscribed on the chest piece—two swords crossed over one another in the shape of an 'X' with the sun peaking up between the crossed blades—and four other guards—all four men—behind him. The four other guards looked fresh out of training. Soreya furrowed her brows together as she knew the man with the four guards to be her commander, Commander Troi.

            Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah all halted and held their arms across their chests in the shape of an 'X', the kingdom's form of a salute. "Why isn't there anyone guarding this post?" said Commander Troi in his deep, foreboding voice.

            "Sir, we always eat breakfast together," said Soreya addressing her commander.

            "Placing four guards here does no one any good if no one is guarding the town," said Commander Troi, stepping toward Soreya. "If we had been a few bandits looking to ransack the town it would have been pretty easy to do since you four were busy stuffing your faces."

            Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah dropped their eyes to the floor and slumped their shoulders while still standing at attention. "Sorry, sir," said the four of them. "It won't happen again," added Soreya. "We can promise you that."

            "You're damn right it won't happen again," shouted Commander Troi. "Because these four young men won't let it happen again," he said, presenting the other four guards behind him.

            Soreya furrowed her brows yet again and slightly cocked her head. "Sir, there are to be five of us, now? Here in Houlton?"

            Everyone in the dining hall was quiet and staring at the soldiers. "No," said Commander Troi. "These four men are your replacements."

            Soreya suddenly perked up. "Replacements, sir? You mean the four of us are leaving? My relocation slip said that I was to stay here for another year, sir."

            "Well, things have changed," said Commander Troi. "In fact, all of your locations have changed. You're all heading to Woodtown."

            Out of the corner of her eye, Soreya watched as Haylee's excitement for finally getting to go back home fade away from her. This meant she would be spending another year away from her husband as it was unlikely that he would be leaving his post in Garith, Gileron's capital. And, while she felt bad for Haylee and the other two men as well, since they both had wives back in Garith, she couldn't resist the smile that stretched from ear to ear. Finally, she was getting out of Houlton!

            "Show these men around town and where they'll be staying for the next year and then meet me outside by the mail house," said Commander Troi. "I'll explain more to you of why things have changed."

            Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah all showed the four new guards around town and where they would be staying while in Houlton. They actually seemed quite pleased with being in Houlton. Soreya figured it was because they were fresh out of training and Houlton seemed like the perfect place to spend a year without having to worry about too many problems. And they were right.

            So, after showing the other men around, the four of them met up with Commander Troi and he began explaining the new issue of why they were all being transferred to Woodtown instead of where their transfer slips originally had them going—or in Soreya's case, staying.

            "Now, I know the three of you"—Commander Troi pointed to Haylee, Carl, and Uriah—"were supposed to go back to Garith today, but your duty to the kingdom has been needed elsewhere. That goes for you, as well," he said looking at Soreya. "Woodtown has requested of the King and Queen more guards than usual. In fact, not just Woodtown, but the entire Pine-Wood area has requested more protection."

            The Pine-Wood area included Woodtown, Pineburn, and Sacker's farm. Soreya had never been to any of those locations, but she had known of Sacker's farm. Sacker's farm had provided much of Garith's wheat. She remembered as a child going out to the various shops around town and seeing signs offering Sacker's wheat and flour. The flour was supposedly the best at making the fluffiest of bread. Of course, being orphaned, Soreya had always been too poor to buy any of the wheat, flour, or bread from Sacker's farm.

            "Sir, if you don't mind me asking," said Haylee, "why does Woodtown want more protection?" Her voice was low and almost uncaring.

            "Deer problem, most likely," replied Soreya, sarcastically. It elicited a few chuckles from the Carl and Uriah. She had mainly said it to try and get Haylee to smile. Of course, Commander Troi hadn't smiled either. He gave Soreya a stern stare. Carl and Uriah stopped chuckling and stood with their backs straight again.

            "There have been several murders reported in Woodtown," Commander Troi said. "Supposedly, there's this legend that every six years a bizarre string murders take place in and around Woodtown. People are found dead in their homes or in alleyways. People go missing for years at a time and reportedly reappear just in time for the murders to start up again. No one ever seems to know why these murders and missing person cases happen. If you ask me, it sounds like Woodtown has a serial killer."

            "A serial killer that strikes only every six years?" said Carl.

            "They typically do strike in patterns," said Soreya.

            "Yeah, but would striking every six years be considered a pattern?" said Carl.

            The question was left unanswered.

            "Is that it, Commander?" asked Uriah.

            "No, there is one other _weird_ thing about the people that are found dead." All four guards perked up and listened carefully. "The bodies while sometimes found ripped apart and mauled and even occasionally half eaten all have one thing in common. They're always found drained of blood."

            This elicited a true response from Haylee.

            She narrowed her eyes. "So, we're dealing with—what?—a vampire?"

            "The legends and myths are true!" shouted Carl.

            "Vampires exist!" added Uriah.

            The three of them doubled over in laughter.

            Soreya was confused. "I don't get it. What's a vampire? What's so funny?"

            Haylee wiped her eyes. "Right, right. Well, you see, when you're young, in order to keep you inside when it's dark out or to have you home by dark, parents would often tell their children about these creatures of the night called vampires."

            "Yeah," added Carl, "they attack unsuspecting people, biting them in the neck and drinking their blood."

            "And, sometimes," added Uriah, "they don't drain you fully of your blood. When that happens, you become one with the night. You _become_ a vampire."

            The three of them began laughing again.

            Soreya was still confused. "So, these creatures... they _aren't_ real? I don't get it. What makes this so funny?"

            "No," said Haylee, "they're not real. Vampires have never existed. They're just myths, legends. You know, kind of how fairies were thought to be real. Or, the goddess herself, Celestriana. All of it, fake."

            "Then, how do you explain Faelings?" asked Soreya. "They're direct descendants of fairies."

            Haylee, Carl, and Uriah all burst out in laughter again. "Soreya, you're too gullible sometimes," said Haylee. "Don't believe _everything_ you hear. People like fabricating history. Have you ever seen a fairy? Faelings only _say_ that they're descendants of fairies because it makes them feel superior and they created some goddess to validate their 'origins'."

            Faelings were much like humans in almost every way. The only exception that Faelings had over humans was the fact that they were dark skinned, had golden blonde to white hair (unless dyed), their eye color matched their hair color, and their shoulder blades protruded a lot more than a normal human's—which the Faelings explained as their once having wings. They were also skilled in the arcane arts, more so than humans.

            "Vampire or serial killer, Pine-Wood is requesting more backup and the King has offered it to them. So, the four of you leave tonight," said Commander Troi. "Pack up your stuff and be ready to go by dusk."

            Haylee, Carl, and Uriah collected themselves, stood with straightened spines, and saluted their commander before going off to collect their items. Soreya saluted and as she left, she couldn't help but wonder if the murders in Woodtown were from a serial killer or a so-called vampire? Granted, vampires had never existed to her up until just now, but she _did_ believe in fairies even if they no longer existed and despite her own best friend telling her they had _never_ existed. So, who was she to exclude vampires from existing? After all, the myths and the legends had to start somewhere.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation:
> 
> -Ollie: all-E

**Chapter 4**

* * *

 

 

            Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah had packed their belongings and loaded them into a covered wagon that the commander had brought with him from Garith when bringing the four new guards to Houlton. They had been on the road to Woodtown when the sun had set and the painted twilight horizon had been consumed by the blackened night sky. The moon had risen above the earth and its pale silver glow coupled with the flickering orange glow of the torches each soldier held gave them enough light to travel through the night.

            Since learning that she would be leaving Houlton for Woodtown, Soreya had been filled with glee. She couldn't imagine staying another day there as she was sure she'd have died of boredom. Of course, her fulfillment of leaving the small town also led to Haylee, her best friend, not feeling quite as happy about the transfer.

            Haylee had been anticipating going back to Garith to be stationed with her husband since receiving her transfer slip. However, with Woodtown's request for more protection, she—and the other three soldiers—had been drafted to Woodtown instead. Being back in Garith with her husband would have to wait.

            Leading the way was Commander Troi. Behind him was Soreya and behind her was Haylee. Behind them were Carl and Uriah trotting side-by-side on their horses.

            Haylee had been unusually quiet since leaving Houlton. Soreya knew how much she had been looking forward to being with her husband and while she couldn't deny how much she had been looking forward to leaving Houlton, she felt bad that the draft had included her friend. Soreya pulled back on the reins a bit and had her horse slow down. She waited for Haylee to pull up beside her and then kept up beside her friend.

            "Hey," said Soreya quietly. "How are you doing?"

            Haylee was staring forward not really paying much attention to where her horse was leading her. She just knew to stay behind the commander. "I'm all right," she replied, her voice sounding meek.

            "I'm sorry you don't get to see your husband for another long while," said Soreya.

            Haylee turned her head to face Soreya. Her straightened lips crept up into a half smile as she simply replied, "Thank you."

            Haylee returned her gaze forward and grew quiet again. Soreya wanted to comfort her friend with a hug. Being on horseback, though, she settled for reaching over and gently running her hand across Haylee's back.

            "Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll be transferred to Woodtown, as well," said Soreya. She knew that to be highly unlikely as Haylee's husband had written her a while back stating that he had been trying to work his way into joining the Royal Guard, which would mean pledging his allegiance to protecting the King and Queen of Gileron.

            "You and I both know that that isn't going to happen."

            Soreya sighed. "You could always write him from Woodtown."

            "I'll have to," replied Haylee, her voice monotone. Her gaze was still locked ahead of her. She had fallen quiet again.

            Soreya sighed again and forfeited her attempts at making her friend feel better. She parted her comforting hand from Haylee's back and gripped her horse's rein. They traveled in silence with only the low voices of Carl and Uriah traveling through the cool air behind them.

 

**# # #**

 

            After almost an hour of neither woman speaking, the silence was wearing at Soreya. Yes, she felt bad that Haylee wouldn't be seeing her husband, but it had been _Haylee_ who had told Soreya that it was her job to be in Houlton when she had been bored out of her mind. It had been _Haylee_ who had reminded her of why she was there: to protect the people of Houlton and to serve her kingdom. Just because she had expected to see her husband sooner rather than later didn't give her a free pass to mope when she wouldn't let Soreya be angry over having been drafted to stay in Houlton for another year.

            She decided it time to break the silence. "So, do you think we'll really be dealing with a serial killer?" asked Soreya.

            Haylee was silent for a moment. Soreya was expecting to have to coax a reply out of her friend and she was growing agitated with Haylee's silence. Then, Haylee responded. "I don't know."

            It wasn't much, but it was something. Now, Soreya had to keep the conversation going. "I've never dealt with a serial killer before. Or, any sort of murderer, I guess..."

            Soreya was surprised at Haylee's immediate reply. "Yeah, I haven't either. I guess I never really thought about having to deal with this sort of situation when I had debated whether joining the Gileron Army or not."

            "What caused debate?"

            Haylee threw her head back as she pondered the question. Her brunette hair fell down her back to just below her shoulder blades and the pale glow of moonlight filled her face. "I guess there was never really much to debate," Haylee said. "Like you, I wanted to do something with my life. Lucas had already been in the army for a few years and we weren't at a point in our lives where we wanted children. I liked the thought of traveling and serving my kingdom, so I guess it just made sense to join the army."

            Haylee was four years older than Soreya making her twenty-six and her husband was twenty-nine. Haylee and Soreya had joined the army four years prior with Soreya joining straight out of boarding school.

            "Why didn't you go on to college?" asked Soreya.

            "I could ask you the same thing," replied Haylee.

            "But, I asked you first." Soreya flashed her friend a sly grin.

            Haylee returned Soreya's grin with her own smile. It had been the first full smile Haylee had given since leaving Houlton. "Honestly, I hated school. The thought of spending any more time in a classroom was dreadful. I just wanted to graduate and be done with it. Now, you answer."

            "Well, unlike you, I actually enjoyed school; or, at least I enjoyed it as much as one can. Being in a classroom with other kids my own age and having a professor to look up to was as close to a family as I ever got." Soreya reflected on the memories. It had been difficult not only growing up without parents, but being denied by the parents that had wanted children and couldn't have them. She had always felt as if something was wrong with her. She wanted to be loved.

            Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt a hand on her back, rubbing her gently. She turned her head and saw Haylee smiling sympathetically at her. Soreya wiped her eyes and smiled back at her. "Thank you," she whispered.

            "No one should ever be without a family," Haylee said. "I'll be your family."

            Soreya chuckled. "You're too sweet, Haylee."

            "You can refer to me as your sister from now on."

            "Ugh... Please, no. That's too weird."

            "Why's it weird?" Soreya felt her cheeks flush. Haylee could see her turning red even amidst the orange glow of the torch. It suddenly dawned on her. "Wait. Did... Did you like—"

            Soreya could feel her cheeks burning now. She nodded. "But, it was before I found out that you were married!" Haylee broke out into a fit of laughter. "You were gorgeous!" Soreya exclaimed. "Well, you _are_ gorgeous."

            "You had a crush on me?" Haylee was still laughing. "Do you still have a crush on me?"

            Soreya was silent. Her face had turned as red as a tomato. Haylee didn't have to hear a response to know the answer. She kept laughing.

            "It's not really much of a crush anymore," Soreya said quickly, doing her best to deny.

            "You have a crush on me," Haylee said. "Face it, you like me!"

            "Well... who wouldn't? You're a likeable person!"

            "Would you marry me?" Soreya turned her head in embarrassment. "You would!"

            "Shut up," Soreya said.

            "How would you propose?"

            "Shut up," Soreya said, turning back to face her friend. Seeing Haylee's joy in the discovery of her friend's feelings elicited Soreya's own smile. "Let's just change the subject."

            Haylee sighed, her laughter dying down. Still smiling, she said, "Okay, what she change the subject to?"

            Soreya wanted to get as far away from talking about her crush on Haylee as possible. "How about..." She thought for a moment. "Oh, how about you tell me more about those vampires you and the guys spoke about earlier?"

            Judging by Haylee's facial response, Soreya could tell that she hadn't expected that question. "Why? You don't honestly believe that Woodtown is dealing with vampires, do you? They're not real creatures. They're myths. Legends."

            "All right, but just humor me. What do the legends and myths say about vampires?"

            Haylee sighed. "Well, they only come out at night. Sunlight kills them. Decapitation kills them. Garlic kills them."

            "Garlic?" interrupted Soreya. "How and _why_ does garlic kill them?"

            "I don't know," said Haylee, shrugging her shoulders. "I didn't start the legends. I'm just going off of what I heard from other people. Anyways, they suck blood and are able to turn their hosts into vampires as well, if they so choose. They generally prefer people who are alone as they dislike confrontation even though they're incredibly strong."

            "Do you think we could kill one? You and I," said Soreya.

            "I doubt it," answered Haylee, "because they're _not real_."

            Soreya stared down at the ground below her horse. The road was made of dirt whereas the road back in Houlton had been made of brick. They had been traveling for almost two hours now and the commander had told them that it would be a few days walk south to Woodtown.

            Soreya looked up at the sky and took in the beautiful sight. The moon hung over them and cast its pale silver glow across the land. Sprinkled across the black canvas that the moon had been painted on were stars; they did little to add to the moonlight, but looked pretty nonetheless. Not a single cloud floated above them nor did a breeze blow across the land. The night was as calm and as peaceful as could be with only the crickets chirping and the hooves of the horses tromping across the dirt path.

            "Commander Troi," shouted Carl from behind the two young women, "are we going to rest tonight?"

            "That we will," replied the commander. "I hope you all brought bedrolls because I didn't bring any extra bags."

            Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah all answered the commander stating that they had brought their own bedrolls.

            Up ahead, they all settled by a stream. They tied their horses up to a few of the trees running along the stream and then made camp near the wagon. The commander set up his tent and the other four laid out their sleeping bags. They made a small fire and cooked some venison over it that Houlton had generously provided for them on their travel. Soreya's stomach grumbled in protest of the meat, but she ate it anyways since it was all they had. They talked for another half hour before finally turning in.

            "Good night," whispered Soreya.

            "Good night to you, as well," whispered Haylee. "If you get lonely, don't be afraid to join me in my bag... girlfriend."

            Soreya blushed. "That's the last time I share a secret with you!" she whispered.

            "As a couple, we shouldn't keep secrets from one another. It's bad for the relationship."

            "Shut up," Soreya yelled in a whisper. She reached out and playfully shoved Haylee. Haylee chuckled before turning over onto her belly and falling asleep. Soreya turned over, facing the dying flame of the fire they had built, and let sleep whisk her away.

 

**# # #**

 

            At the first light of dawn, Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah were awoken to the shouting voice of their commander telling them all to wake up. It would be almost a full day's ride on horse before reaching Woodtown and Commander Troi hadn't wanted to waste anymore time. The four soldiers reluctantly gathered their bedrolls and other additional items, stuffed them back in the wagon and made their way down the road again following their commander.

            After almost an hour of traveling, the sun had lifted above the horizon and cast its bright, orange glow across the land. The green grass on either side of the road sparkled from the morning dew that had settled on the ground over night. A light, brisk breeze blew across the open plains which sent a shiver down everyone's spines including Commander Troi's. Geese flew overhead squawking as they flew in a triangle formation and upon watching them Soreya's stomach began to growl.

            "Do you think I could shoot a bird out of the sky?" she said, nodding her head up at the geese.

            "No," replied Haylee, bluntly. "When was the last time you used your bow? It's been at least a year. Do you even know how to properly use the weapon anymore?"

            Wrapped in a sack on the side of Soreya's horse were her sword, her bow, and a quiver filled partially with arrows. Part of her bow stuck out of the side of the brown knapsack and she grabbed it. It was a longbow made of soft, pliable wood and reinforced with iron. She grabbed an arrow, latched it to the taut drawstring, and took aim at the geese. They were nearly out of range; she had to take her shot now or miss them altogether.

            She let loose of the arrow and with a _thwip_ the arrow shot forward at an alarming speed, cutting through the cool, morning air. It headed directly toward the fat, white birds and just as Haylee had predicted it missed them and came falling back to the earth somewhere off in the distance.

            As the arrow fell to the ground, Commander Troi stopped his horse and turned back to look upon his soldiers. Soreya and Haylee had been trotting along on their horses pulling up the rear. Uriah was ahead of them with Carl ahead of him and Commander Troi leading the way.

            "Who shot the arrow?" he yelled, his deep, commanding voice causing the other four to stop immediately.

            They were all quiet for a few moments before Soreya finally spoke up. "Sir, I was just hoping to hit one of the geese so we could have something to eat."

            "We have venison," Commander Troi shouted.

            _I'm tired of venison_ , Soreya thought.

            "Actually, I could do with some breakfast," said Uriah.

            "Yeah, I could, too," Haylee added.

            "I, as well," Carl chimed in.

            Commander Troi gazed upon his four soldiers. "And, you, Soreya?"

            She nodded.

            The corner of Commander Troi's lips arched up. "Well, then, let's have breakfast."

            Soreya spoke quickly. "Can we hunt—"

            "We're having venison," Commander Troi interjected.

            Soreya sighed, her head and shoulders slumping forward in defeat.

            After they finished eating, they put the fire out that they had used to cook the venison and climbed back on their horses. The sun had risen higher into the morning sky and its warm golden glow had taken over the cool morning air. The sky was bright blue and not a single cloud filled it. They followed the path all day long encountering no one else. Between Woodtown and Houlton the countryside had been empty, but beautiful. It wasn't until the sun began to set and they neared Woodtown that they began encountering people of the Pine-Wood area.

            Houses began creeping up along the road and civilians watched as the five soldiers trotted along the dirt road on their horses. Torch lights ran on either side of the dirt road providing just enough light as the sun had disappeared beyond the western horizon.

            The houses were fairly basic. They were primarily made of wood and most of them were one story houses with a few larger houses farther off from the road. Soreya and Haylee traveled side-by-side and watched as a few kids played alongside the road.

            "They must not have heard of the vampire myths," Soreya jested.

            "Ha," Haylee mocked. "Very funny. But, don't forget, you were the one asking questions about them as if they were real."

            "I just wanted to know what you knew about them," Soreya replied in her defense. "I hadn't heard of them either."

            Up ahead there was a sign leading toward town that read, 'Welcome to Woodtown.' Under it were smaller letters carved into the wooden sign as if they weren't originally meant to be there. 'Our wood is the sturdiest you'll find in the entire kingdom.' The word 'sturdiest' had been underlined twice.

            "At least the name doesn't seem to disappoint," said Soreya.

            "Everything seems to be made of wood," noted Haylee.

            Carl and Uriah joined the two young women in conversation. "Imagine if a fire ever broke out in this town," said Carl.

            "There'd be no saving it," added Uriah. "I don't think you'd even have time to put it out before it would begin spreading everywhere else."

            Woodtown wasn't as large as some of the more populated cities such as the capital of the kingdom, Garith, but it was decently sized. The road that the five soldiers had taken to travel to Woodtown had led them into the north side of town which was lined with shops and markets. Wooden buildings lined either side of the road and they ranged from clothing stores to food markets to an alchemy store and even a weapons store.

            "I have a feeling that this town is already going to be much more interesting than Houlton," marveled Soreya.

            "I'd say you were right," said Haylee turning to look at all of the shops. Unfortunately, since it was now night, all of the shops were closed. It was still something to look forward to in the morning, though.

            Torch lights ran down either side of the road and coupled with the shining, pale moonlight, kept the town lit up. There were several people walking through town and talking amongst themselves as if the fear of a serial killer didn't faze them. It was a much more lively town than Houlton had been at night.

            "The barracks are up ahead," proclaimed Commander Troi. "You'll get situated in tonight and first thing tomorrow morning you'll be given a tour of the town so you'll know where everything is."

            Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah followed their commander to the soldiers' barracks. It was right on the corner of the road with all of the shops. It was only a one story building, but it occupied a lot of space. There were stables around back to leave their horses. The five soldiers dropped off their horses and left their wagon to the side of the stables. They were ordered to leave their belongings for now as the Captain would tell them where to put their items later.

            Upon entering the barracks from the stable, there stood an older woman inside dressed similarly to Commander Troi waiting for them. The five soldiers stopped immediately and gave her the kingdom's salute—their arms crossed over their chests in an 'X'. The older woman acknowledged their salute and stepped forward, introducing herself.

            "Hi, I'm the captain of the Woodtown guard. You may call me Captain Ollie. I have requested your added support because we suspect that we have a serial killer in town. They've already struck once and it will happen again. I need your help in capturing this person and locking them away. They've terrorized this town many times before and every six years they seem to return. So, this time we capture them. This time we don't let them get away."

            Captain Ollie was an older woman with tanned, olive skin. Her hair had started to gray and she had lines on her forehead, crow's feet along her eyes, and her skin was a bit wrinkled. She was certainly shorter than Commander Troi as she had to have only been five foot five at the tallest, Soreya had guessed. She had a sword at her hip, sheathed, and another on her back as the hilt stuck out passed her right shoulder.

            "Any questions," Captain Ollie added.

            "Ma'am," said Carl, stepping forward, "is there anything you can tell us about this killer? Our commander told us that the victims appear to be drained of blood, but is there any other characteristic typically found with the bodies?"

            "Some of the bodies are fully intact and others are found completely eviscerated," answered Captain Ollie. "There doesn't seem to be many consistencies between the bodies, but one thing that is interesting that they all share aside from being drained of blood, is that their throats are usually slashed open. Even when their bodies are dismembered and disfigured the throats are still slashed. So, whether our killer likes to kill them clean or play with them and dismember them, they always seem to go for the throat first."

            "Does that line up with your vampires?" Soreya whispered, leaning into Haylee.

            Haylee nudged Soreya with her elbow. "Shh..."

            "Any other questions?" asked Captain Ollie. Soreya, Haylee, Carl, and Uriah were quiet. "All right, well, then"—

            "Actually, ma'am, I do have one question," said Haylee stepping forward. "Our commander said that you had requested for more help. Are we the only four that were brought in as extra help?"

            "No," replied Captain Ollie. "More were brought in yesterday and more will arrive tomorrow. I'm not just the captain of Woodtown; I'm the Captain of the Pine-Wood Guard. We have soldiers here in town, in Pineburn, and at Sacker's farm which is about a mile and a half south of here. Tomorrow we will decide and determine where you'll be stationed whether it's here, in Pineburn, or on the farm. Though, honestly, my soldiers do a lot of rotating so as to know the area extensively, so just because you get stationed here or in one of the other places you will most likely be moved after a few months. It helps so you don't get bored of being in one place for too long. Coming from Houlton, I'm sure you'll appreciate the change."

            Even Captain Ollie seemed to know how boring Houlton was.

            A wide smile stretched from ear to ear across Soreya's face. "Ma'am, you have no idea how grateful I am to be here," she said, stepping forward.

            "Oh, I can imagine," she replied. "I, myself, served in Houlton for three years before being transferred to the Pine-Wood area and being promoted to captain. I grew so sick and tired of venison that I gag when I even think about deer."

            Soreya knew just how she felt and she had a feeling she was going to like being in the Pine-Wood area, especially with Captain Ollie as her superior. Without any more questions, the captain showed the four to where they would be staying for the night. She let them get their belongings from the wagon and settle in. Commander Troi was there of the night and first thing in the morning he would be on his way back to Garith. Morning was going to come quick so they all found food, ate, changed, and went to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember, if you like the story leave Kudos and Reviews. The reviews especially help. I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you have a wonderful day.


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